Sr. Data Scientist

Merrick Bank • Wilmington, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Join our team and build your career with momentum as we champion your growth, elevate your ideas and engage you in purpose-driven work that makes a real difference every day. Who we are Founded in 1997, Merrick Bank is an FDIC®-insured financial institution headquartered in South Jordan, Utah, with over $10 billion in assets. A wholly owned subsidiary of CardWorks Financial Group, Merrick Bank serves roughly five million cardmembers and more than 100,000 merchant customers nationwide. What we do We provide credit cards, recreational loans, deposit accounts, merchant services and bank sponsorships to consumers and businesses. As a leader in non-prime lending and merchant acquiring, we combine innovative technology with data-driven insights to help underserved consumers build and strengthen credit while delivering integrated, scalable payment solutions for businesses. Merrick Bank ranks among the top 20 FDIC®-insured credit card issuers in the U.S. and among the top 15 merchant acquirers by transaction volume. Position Summary and Role Impact: The Senior Data Scientist is responsible for developing, validating, deploying, and monitoring advanced predictive analytics solutions that drive risk, marketing, and business decision-making across the bank. This role combines deep expertise in traditional statistical modeling and machine learning with the ability to apply emerging AI technologies to solve complex business challenges. The successful candidate will serve as a technical leader within the Data Science & Modeling organization, partnering with business stakeholders, technology teams, and senior leadership to deliver robust analytical solutions. Experience with modern machine learning techniques is required. Exposure to deep learning, large language models (LLMs), and generative AI technologies is highly desirable.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in quantitative fields (e.g. Data Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Economics, Engineering, Operations Research, or a related field) is required.
• At least one (1) year of hands-on experience building predictive models, machine learning solutions, or advanced analytics applications in financial services or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience developing and deploying production-ready analytical solutions.
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling methodologies, including logistic regression, linear models, segmentation, forecasting, and model validation techniques.
• Strong expertise in machine learning algorithms and model development workflows.
• Advanced programming skills in Python, R, and SQL.
• Experience working with large and complex data sets.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to business stakeholders and executive leadership.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in cross-functional teams.
• Responsible for complying with all the Bank’s internal control policies and procedures.
• Responsible for understanding and complying with all laws and regulations to which the Bank is subject.
• Responsible for communicating problems in operations, noncompliance with the code of conduct, noncompliance with laws and regulations, policy violations, or illegal acts.

Nice To Haves

• PhD in a quantitative field is preferred.
• Exposure to deep learning, large language models (LLMs), and generative AI technologies is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develops, validates, and maintains predictive models supporting Credit Risk, Marketing, Balance/Revenue forecasting, Direct Mail Response, and account-level valuation domains.
• Provides end-to-end ownership of the model development lifecycle, including problem framing, conceptual design, data analysis, model construction, validation, documentation, deployment, and user enablement.
• Applies traditional statistical techniques, including logistic regression, generalized linear models, clustering, and forecasting methods.
• Designs and implements machine learning solutions using techniques such as gradient boosting, random forests, ensemble methods, and other advanced analytical approaches.
• Develops model monitoring frameworks to ensure ongoing model performance, stability, fairness, and regulatory compliance.
• Investigate performance issues, identify root causes, and recommend appropriate corrective actions when models do not perform as expected.
• Performs complex data analysis and communicate insights, recommendations, and model performance to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Supports model governance, validation, compliance reviews, and regulatory examinations through comprehensive documentation and transparent methodologies.
• Researches, assesses, and prototypes emerging AI technologies, including large language models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and generative AI applications.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Bonus Target or Variable Pay Incentive Program
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Short- & Long-Term Disability
• Wellness Programs
• Group Life and AD&D Insurance
• Paid Vacation
• Sick Days
• Bank Holidays
• Employee Engagement Activities including Employee Appreciation Day, DEI Employee Resource Groups, Corporate Social Responsibility, Service Recognition

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior